


after dusk comes dawn

by imstruggle



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Past Sexual Assault, Post-War, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imstruggle/pseuds/imstruggle
Summary: Percy returns home from war after sacrificing far too much. He wants nothing more than to live a normal life, but the past refuses to let go. Carter is assigned to help him deal with his traumas and get him adjusted back to civilian life. After all, he is uniquely capable of doing so, considering his own past.
Relationships: Percy Jackson/Carter Kane
Kudos: 9





	after dusk comes dawn

It felt like he was swimming through pure light. The world was warm and comforting, and he felt safe and protected, like he was wrapped in his mom's loving embrace. It was the first time in a very long time that he had felt at peace. He never wanted this to end. If only he could spend eternity like this… 

With her… 

As if a drain had been pulled on reality, the world began to spin. There was something inexplicably wrong, like gravity had been thrown into chaos or the sun had plummeted into the unknown. His senses screamed at him to wake up, and yet he couldn't. His eyes refused to open and his arms remained at his sides. He felt like a marionette whose strings had been cut. 

There was an incessant white noise next to his ear, grating on his throbbing brain. It was probably another mosquito. Those things were endless in the marshes. They had been convinced that those pests were sent to punish them for the sins of their government. They were trespassers on the land, and those bugs were the righteous guardians sent to repel them. 

But, he was used to them. This was probably just another nightmare. He was used to those, too. After all, what human could live through what he had, and come away sane? At least he had her to keep him grounded. She would scoff and call him a sap if he ever said it to her face, but she was his guardian angel. She always knew what was right, what was best for him. He wanted to be the one protecting her, but more often than not, it was she who saved him. He could always sleep well at night knowing that he had her on his side. Forever. 

That was their promise. 

Forever.

xx

The next time he awoke, he was far more lucid. He was also far more aware of the aches and pains in his body. He blinked against the compassionless white lights above, and slowly lifted his hand to his face to scrub at his eyes. He paused when he felt a tug on the back of his hand. He moved his hand fully into his field of vision and idly noticed the IV drip and bandages. 

It wasn't an uncommon sight for him. After all, his signature move was charging into battle and letting his skills take over. Next, Annabeth would stand up at his bedside and berate him for being so reckless, when in reality she was just relieved that he was still alive. It was the same old dance, and one he cherished. It was rarely ever her in the bed. She was far too smart. The only time she ever let her guard down was for him. 

Percy turned his head to the side, expecting to see the familiar blonde hair and piercing gray eyes. There was no one on his left. He slowly rotated his head towards his right. But instead of meeting eyes that held oceans and storms, he met a pair that was warm like the earth. They belonged to a young man with dark skin who looked no older than he was. Probably even younger. 

"You're awake," he stated. There was a warmth in his voice that Percy was quite unused to from strangers. 

"Where's Annabeth?" was his first and only concern. The smile faded. 

He felt concern rising in his chest, constricting his lungs. The young man rubbed the back of his neck, and averted his gaze. 

The panic froze his lungs, and he pushed himself up on his elbows, struggling to get out of the hospital bed. "Is she hurt?" he demanded. The stranger immediately leapt to his feet and held his hands out placatingly. 

"Please," he said softly. "You'll hurt yourself again if you strain yourself too much."

That was the least of his concerns. "Where is she?" Percy demanded for the last time, ready to hurdle over this dude hovering over him, in his way. 

"I'm sorry," he answered, his eyes holding sorrows and truths he didn't want to hear. They were full of compassion, but to Percy, the messenger was the only person he was able to shoot. 

"No!" he spat. "Tell me where she is right now." 

There was a commotion outside the door, and two nurses hurried in, followed by a doctor. Their uniforms were crisp and pristine. The walls were too white and the lights were too bright. All of a sudden, this was far too much to bear. He wanted to return the warped reality of the dream state. Annabeth would be waiting for him there. 

Words were said and actions were done, but Percy paid no attention to any of it. He was far too busy drowning. The last thing he saw before he went under were sad brown eyes, full of compassion. 

xx

It was December 17th. A week before Christmas. They were due to return from their deployment, allowed to return to their families. The military campaign was just about wrapping up, and peacekeepers had been sent in to rebuild what had been destroyed. What they had destroyed. But, now, they were allowed to put all of this behind them. They could stop fighting and live the normal life he had always dreamed of for them. No longer would they have to desperately seek each other out in the heat of battle. No longer would they have to cling to each other at night, fearing that that was their last night together. They were finally free. 

The bombs came at dawn. There had been no warning. There was no preparation, and no amount of training or technology could have saved them. They were torn from each other, thrown asunder in their own personal hell. 

He later found out that Annabeth had sacrificed herself to save him. She had thrown herself over him right as the bombs hit, taking the brunt of the impact. He didn't get to hold her as she took her last breath or declare his undying love to her in a desperate attempt to keep her with him. He didn't even get to attend her funeral. 

The only thing he could do was sit in the hospital and listen to the steady drone of the machines. No one came to see him but the nurses and doctors, who refused to meet his gaze. He was alone with nothing but his thoughts, and he wanted nothing more than to join her. His whole body felt numb, even as his limbs burned with pain and he tasted ash in his throat. 

He was released after a month. He was informed that he may never have use of his right arm ever again and that his knee will never fully recover. They wished him good luck and left him in the parking lot of the hospital. He was just another veteran now. Always someone else's problem. 

He was awash in the sea of humanity. The world passed by around him, blurry faces and cold concrete. He sat down hard on the nearby bench. He was ready to meld into the cold metal, remain there forever. He tipped his head back to stare at the sky. They were the same slate gray as Annabeth's eyes. He had no more will to continue. 

A shadow fell over him. He looked up to see a pair of familiar eyes. They held a kindness that he hadn't seen in a long while. 

"Percy Jackson. Welcome back to New York. Your superior has asked me to give you a place to stay, and to help you adjust back to civilian life. I know it must be hard, especially after serving in the special forces for so long. 

"My name is Carter Kane. Please come with me."

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably not a common ship, but I just think the two characters complement each other so well. This has been on my mind for a while, so I thought I would throw it out there. Thanks for reading, I hope you've enjoyed!


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